Collapsible shipping crate



Jan. 16, 1923.

Pntented den. ld, 1223.

SIDTEY R. ML'. MLLGH, @l PEHLADELEEIA, PENNS'LVMSA.

@@LLJ @SEBLE SHEFING CRATE.

Application @led march 3, y

To all whom c'tmay concern:

Be it known that Sinner R. M. MALLooH, a citizen of the United States of America,- residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, has invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible ShippingCrates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide .0 a simple, comparatively inexpensive and efficient shipping crate for fowls and farm products which may be readily folded into compact form for return shipment to the producer and wherein all of the parts thereof are permanently connected whether extended for use or folded for return shipment to 'the end that the loss or misplacement of any of the elements thereof may be avoided; and with these objects in view the invention con- 30 sists in aconstruction and combinetion of parts off which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view or a crate embodying the invention, 2the same being extended or set up for use. y

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seme. l

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the crate in its folded condition.

Figure 5 is a horizontal detail sectional View of one of the corner joints to show the -means of locking the side and end walls in their operative relations.

The crate consists essentially of the top and bottom walls 10 end 1l of which the latter may he sunken to form a suitable door, side walls 12 respectively of unitary or one-piece construction and end walls 13 of horizontally divided two-piece or sectional construction with the upper and lower mem-l bers thereof hingedl connected as indicated at l1t, and respective y jointed to'the top and bottom walls by hinges 15 and 16. Strips 17 are arranged at the ends of the bottom wall to raise t e hinges 16 so as to provide a space for the reception of the side walls 12 50 which are hingedl connected at their lower edges as et 18 to t e bottom wall.

- The hinges of the side walls are arranged to permit of the inward folding of the latter into positions which 'in a crate of the dimensions herein shown are adapted to lie in a common plane parallel with the bottom wall,

the inner surfaces of 1922, *derial No. 540,737.

andthe end walls are constructed and mount ed to fold inwardly on top of the side 'r1-elle, with the adjacent edges 'of their sections adapted to break so that the upper end lower members of each end well lie in parallelism and substantial contact.

The side edges of the top wall ere provided with depending stop pins 19 to limit the outward swinging movement ont 'the up,

per edges of the side walls, 'the latter preferably having depressions or sockets 20 for the reception of said pins, and secured to the innersurtaces of the upper sections of the end walls adjacent to the joints controlled by the hinges 1d are latches A21 shown cleerly in Figure 5 and consisting of spring tongues having osets or shoulders 22 to hear against l the side 'walls to prevent inward collapsing thereof and terminal tongues 23 to hear against the end edges of the side walls to prevent inward collapsingof theend walls;l rthese tongues preierehlv extend outward far enough to permit ol" the extrem'ties thereof being grasped or engaged yv the fingers to retract the latches .suihciently to disengage the shoulders 22 thereof from the inner surfaces of the side walls so that the latter may heflolded inwardly when it is desired to collapse the crate.

Owing to the location end construction of the latches 2l it is obvious thet in setting up the crate from a :folded position it is only necessary to raise the top well to separate it from the bottom well sufciently to permit the end walls to assume a. vertical position or with the centers thereof in e common plane and then to fold the side walls outwardly until the movement thereof is checked by the stop pins 19. This movement of 'the side walls will repress the latches 21 until the end edges of the side walls pass the shoulders 22 whereupon the latches will spring outward and lock both side and end walls in their operative positions. ln collapsing the crate it is only necessary to deilect the latches by outward pressure upon the extremities of the tongues 23 sufficiently to release the end edges oi the side walls so that the latter maj be "folded inwardly whereupon the side walls will he released lil@ and will he free to buckle inwardly to permit the dropping of the top wall to the folded position indicated in Figure d.

The top well is preferably provided with a door or gate 2t having spring hinges 25 and stop pins 26 to limitthe closing movement thereof, in order that access may be had to the interior of the crate to insert or remove the contents thereof. v

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is l. A collapsible shipping crate having top, bottom, side and end walls of which the side walls are hingedly mounted upon the bottom wall for inward folding movement and the end walls are of sectional construction and consist of upper and lower sections jointed at their meeting edges for inward folding movement, the remote edges of the end wall sectionsbeing hingedly connected respectively with the top and bottom Walls, and locking means at the meeting edges of the side and end walls for preventing inward swinging movement thereto, and consisting of spring latches mounted upon the end Walls near the joint between the sections thereof and provided with shoulders for bearing against the inner surfaces of the side Walls and tongues for bearing against the end edges of the side walls.

2. A collapsible shippingzcrate having top, bottom, side and end walls of which the side walls are hingedly mounted upon the bottom wall for inward folding movement and the end walls are of sectional construction and consist of upper and lower sections jointed at their meeting edges for inward folding movement, the remote edges of the end wall sections being hingedly connected respectively with the top and bottom walls, and locking means at the meeting edgesof the side and end walls for preventing inward swinging movement thereto, and consisting of spring latches mounted upon the end Walls near the joint between the sections thereof and provided with shoulders for bearing against the inner surfaces of the side walls and tongues for bearing against ltohe end edges of the side walls, said tongues ein siblegfroin the interior of the crate for disengaging the latches from the side walls.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

SIDNEY R. M. MALLOCH.

extended to form finger holds acces-V 

